It is said that there are some manifestations that are partial and some others that are full, and some that are temporary and some that are lasting. But these are called Avatars only by courtesy.Narada, Sanatkumara and other similar sages are referred to in some texts as such Avatars. They have not got all the Divine characteristics; therefore, they are not worshipped. (BPV, p. 91)
Krishna said ‘Arjuna! What exactly do people mean when they say the sun has risen and the sun has set? It is so far as their vision is concerned, that is all, is it not? The sun does not rise, it does not set. I am also like that; I am not born, nor do I die. Men of ordinary intellect consider that I am born many times and that I do many deeds during each birth. Whenever there is the need for the uplift of the world, I become manifest assuming a Name and a Form, that is all; so I am conscious of all my appearances, all my manifestations. I am Almighty, I am Sarvajna. Not only I, even you, know everything.
But your Jnana shakti is overwhelmed byAjnana. I am Jnana itself and so I know everything. When the sun is seen in a mirror, he does not lose either his status or his glory. He is unaffected; his glory is undiminished. So also I am reflected in Prakriti; and that does not diminish any of My glory or status.
I remain as Almighty and as Sarvajna as ever. I am unborn, immortal. Humans are born as a result of the merits and demerits of their previous births. Perhaps you think this holds true for Avatars also. No. Yours is Karma janma, mine is Leela janma. Prayers of the good are the cause of MyJanma. The misdeeds of the wicked are also the cause! (GV, p. 63)
‘Karma is of My Nature; I manifest Myself as Karma’, said Krishna. (GV, p. 137)
Naham vasami vaikunthe
Yoginam hrdayena ca
Mad-bhakta yatra gayanti
Tatra tisthami Narada
... (Padma Purana)
Mad-bhakta yatra gayanti tatra tisthami Narada, is the declaration. ‘Whenever My Bhaktas sing of Me, there I install Myself’. Why the Lord is always there and everywhere, whether you sing of Him or not. The singing only makes manifest, like the radio receiver which catches the tune from the ether when it is switched to the correct wave-length. The current is flowing ever; when you fix the bulb, you will get the light. (SSS Vol.2, p. 53)
Do not think that you are human and that you have to reach the state of the Divine. Think rather that you are God, and that from that state you have become a human being. If you think this way, all the attributes of God will manifest in you. Know that you have descended from God as human beings and that eventually you will go back to your source. (MBI, p. 174)
You feel that there is something behind and beyond all this fleeting fantasy, something that persists through all the success and defeats, all the tears and smiles, all this mirth and moan, but you are unable to grasp it and realize that it is the same entity that underlies the entire universe. You are one with the most distant star, and the least little blade of grass; you shine as dew on the petal of the rose, you swing from star to star. You are part and parcel of all this Manifestation. (S&M, p. 68)
When we practise Dharma, the Divinity in us will manifest itself spontaneously. One should not limit Dharma to mere words. Man is regarded as the very embodiment of righteousness. But he will not be worthy of this appellation if he does not lead a life of Dharma. Everyone should realise that to attain oneness with divinity is the goal of human life. Hence it is everyone’s duty to develop faith in the Divine. With the growth of faith, if one leads a life devoted to Dharma, Satya and Neeti (Righteousness, Truth and Justice), he will be achieving the purpose of life. The man who does not follow Dharma is a burden on the earth. All the wealth he may accumulate will not accompany him when he leaves the world. It is more important to earn the grace of God than earn all the wealth in the world. Develop the love of God and realise the bliss that is beyond all words. (SSS Vol.17, p. 9)
How the love of the Divine manifests itself in a devotee is illustrated by the example of Vibhishana, the younger brother of Ravana. Vibhishana submitted himself to many indignities at the hands of Ravana out of the love he had for Rama. In the battle against the Rakshasas in Lanka, Rama and Lakshmana destroyed many of the great Rakshasa warriors on the first two days. On the third day a formidable warrior stood before them. Vibhishana told Rama: ‘If you conquer this warrior, the whole of Lanka will be yours. He is a greater warrior than even Ravana.’ Rama fought with this mighty Rakshasa the whole day, but could not vanquish him. Rama was on the point of giving up the battle for the day. At this stage, Vibhishana, who was behind Rama, said: ‘This is not the time to give up the fight. You must rally all your strength and destroy the enemy. You should not miss this chance. I am telling this out of my love for you.’ Egged on by Vibhishana, Rama continued the fight and destroyed his opponent.
The formidable warrior fell on the battlefield. The moment he learned that the warrior was dead, Vibhishana also collapsed on the ground. Recovering himself after chanting the name of Rama, Vibhishana got up and confessed to Rama: ‘Swami! This is a mark of weakness on my part. I should not have succumbed to such weakness. Having filled myself with your love, how could I succumb to such weakness?’ Rama observed: ‘That’s all right. But why did you collapse so suddenly?’ Vibhishana replied: ‘Swami! This happened because of bodily attachment. It was due to parental affection. That mighty warrior was my son.’ He was Vibhishana’s son! See what Vibhishana did. To ensure the victory of the Lord, Vibhishana did not hesitate to get even his son killed in battle.
Rama asked Vibhishana: ‘Why did you do this? Is it not wrong on your part? Why did you not tell me at the beginning itself that he was your son?’ Vibhishana replied: ‘When you are facing an enemy, you should not worry about any kind of relationship on the battlefield. In this war there is no room for considerations of relationship. When anyone takes up arms against you, he ceases to be a relation. Whether it is mother, father, son or anybody else, when he figures as an enemy especially against God, there can be no question of relationship. I have completely surrendered to you. I am your servant. I must be primarily be concerned about your victory and not about any temporary kinship. The only truth for me is your will.’
It is this abounding love of Vibhishana for Rama, which contributed to Rama’s victory. Love for the Divine should be inextricable bond. All otherworldly attachments are impermanent. Tamasika bonds are like iron chains. Rajasika bonds are copper chains. Sattvika bonds are like chains of gold. But, whether the chains are of iron, copper or gold, they are chains all the same. The nature of the metals may vary, but the chains are shackles nevertheless. Vibhishana declared: ‘I have no use for any of these bonds. I am content with the pure love of Rama.’ It is to demonstrate to the world the supreme quality of total love for the Divine that Vibhishana acted in this manner.
Vibhishana is a Sattvika (Supremely sacred) friend of Rama. Despite his long intimacy with Rama, Lakshmana was not in the same category. He was a Sattvika brother, not a Sattvika friend. Sugriva was a Rajasika friend. Jambavan was a tamasika friend. Vibhishana, though he belonged to the Rakshasa brood, stands out as a Sattvika friend (pure and selfless). It is in this unalloyed purity that love shines. It is utterly invaluable. (SSS Vol.29, pp. 217-219)
Embodiments of the Divine! If you are really filled with devotion, manifest your love for God who is the very embodiment of love. If you are genuinely hungering and thirsting for God, partake of Divine love to appease your hunger and quench your thirst. Divine love is the only panacea for all your troubles and miseries arising from insatiable desires and frustrated ambitions. God’s love is like a lighthouse beacon. It shows you the right path. Divert the boat of your life towards the lighthouse of Divine love. You are then bound to gain the shore of bliss.
You do not need any special type of penance of meditation. Meditate on love. Fill your mind with love. Even while attending to your daily chores, regard all of them as offerings to the Divine. God is omnipresent. See God in every thing and every being. Let love grow in your hearts like the waxing moon. Divine love will not wane like the moon. Let such steadfast love be enshrined in your heart. As Tukaram said: Dil me Ram, haath me kam (Ram in the heart and work in the hand).
The duty of everyone from today onwards is to cultivate true, unsullied love. With love of God you can secure anything. Without that love, you will only be steeped in misery. (SSS Vol.29, pp. 387-388)
Utsaham, Sahasam, Dhairyam,
Buddi, Shakti, Parakrama
Shadete yatra tistanti
tatra devopi tistati
Where the six qualities of zeal, determination, courage, intelligence, ability and heroism are present, there Divine help is manifest. (SSS Vol.30, p. 1)
God manifests itself as the outside world. God is within; the world is without. God is the Cause, and the universe is the Effect. The visible manifestation or world is called Vishva. The mental thought within is called Tejas. The divine energy operating in the deep sleep stage is called prajna. The three stages of waking, dream, and deep sleep are within man. (LA, p. 55)
Manifestation is a reflection of the Inner Being. (Uniq, p. 155)
Every concrete manifestation of God is significant; there can be no higher or lower. The story of each one of them is elevating. Each is a full manifestation. Listening to the stories may make you feel that one manifestation is grander and more sublime than another is. It would appear as if you get more inspiration from one avatar than another. But all are equally Divine and mysterious. The circumstances and the needs; its form is in accordance with the purpose.
An Avatar might manifest only such part of the Divine Glory as is essential for the task which brought the form, or might exceed the limited purpose it came for, and shine in full grandeur. You find the same sweetness in a kilo of gur (jaggery) or the smallest gur particle. The difference is one of quantity, not quality.. It is the same with avatars. Their tasks and powers requisite to them differ according to the time, the situation and the environment. But they belong to, and derive from one and the same Divine Essence. (NNSG Vol.1, pp. x-xi)